The City Park across the street was once Emery Place, the summer estate of Matthew Gault Emery.
A prominent builder, Emery was Washington City's last elected mayor during the period of home rule. He was succeeded in 1874 by a presidentially . . . — — Map (db m72816) HM

Fresh Water Springs in this pleasant high ground once drew European settlers. Farmers called the area "Crystal Spring." In 1859 the half-mile Crystal Spring Racetrack opened on land to your left. For 75 cents, Washingtonians hopped a stagecoach . . . — — Map (db m99187) HM

Three dramatic religious structures dominate this corner. They are among some 40 religious institutions lining 16th Street between the White House and the Maryland state line.
Many serve as unofficial “embassies” representing the . . . — — Map (db m17076) HM

You are standing in front of the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania.
The Spanish Baroque style mansion is all that remains of what was once a duplex, or double, embassy building designed by George Oakley Totten for Mary Foote Henderson's . . . — — Map (db m82711) HM

You are now standing in front of the longest-serving embassy building among Washington DC's more than 180 diplomatic missions: the Embassy of the Republic of Poland. Renowned architect George Oakley Totten designed the building for Mary Foote . . . — — Map (db m83344) HM

During the Civil War (1861-1865), the Union Army Carver Hospital and barracks occupied Meridian Hill. The facilities attracted African American freedom seekers looking for protection and employment. By wars end, a Black community had put down . . . — — Map (db m17032) HM

Since 1924 this mansion has housed representatives of the Republic of Lithuania, even during the 50 years when the country was occupied by the Soviet Union.
In the late 1700s, the Russian Empire annexed Lithuania's territory, ending the . . . — — Map (db m82751) HM

Long before Europeans arrived, Meridian Hill was a sacred place for Native Americans. As recently as 1992, a delegation of Native Americans walked across the continent to this park to mourn the 500th anniversary of Columbuss arrival. They were . . . — — Map (db m16910) HM

As you look up the hill, you can see Peter C. LEnfants 1791 plan for Washington ended up here in front of you at Boundary Avenue, now Florida Avenue. Back then, when people walked or rode in horse-drawn vehicles, it was hard to climb this steep . . . — — Map (db m16893) HM

On March 30, 1981, President Ronald Reagan marked the 100th visit to Washington Hilton by a sitting U.S. President. Reagan had been invited to speak in the International Ballroom at a meeting of the North America's Building Trades Unions. Upon . . . — — Map (db m93218) HM

This is the heart of Washingtons Latino community. Once centered here and in nearby Mount Pleasant and Columbia Heights, the community now extends throughout the region.
As early as the 1910s, the Mexican, Ecuadoran, Cuban, and Spanish . . . — — Map (db m17167) HM

In 1947, the building on your left opened as the National Arena, a public roller rink and bowling alley. It also hosted professional wrestling, roller derbies, and rock concerts. In 1986 it became the Citadel Motion Picture Center, where portions of . . . — — Map (db m17031) HM

The Rock Creek Valley, once home to Native Americans, had attracted European settlers by 1703. Before he became president in 1825, John Quincy Adams purchased Adams Mills on Rock Creek from his cousin. The mills, just down the hill, processed flour . . . — — Map (db m99394) HM

Episcopalians first gathered here to worship in 1874, when St. Alban's Church, located on Wisconsin Avenue and Massachusetts, started a mission for the area. In good weather, services took place under a . . . — — Map (db m68271) HM

Beyond Ward Circle to your left is the campus of American University, chartered by
Congress in 1893. Methodist Bishop John Fletcher Hurst guided the universitys development as a center for training future public servants. With its schools in . . . — — Map (db m51839) HM

From 1927 until the late 1950s, the landscaped grounds across the street were the Hillcrest Childrens Center. It was founded downtown in 1814 as the Washington City Orphan Asylum by Marcia Burnes Van
Ness and President Madisons wife Dolley. The . . . — — Map (db m80468) HM

Civil War Defenses of Washington 1861-1865. No visible evidence remains of Fort Bayard, which stood at the top of this hill. Named for Brig. Gen. George Bayard, mortally wounded at the Battle of Fredericksburg on December 13, 1862. — — Map (db m124) HM

When NBC radio and television and its local affiliate,
WRC, moved to these new headquarters in 1958, the average TV screen measured 12 inches. The facility opened with six studios—three TV and three radio. Soon history happened here.
On . . . — — Map (db m47866) HM

Across the street is the former Carver Theatre, built in 1948 as the first nonsegregated movie house in Southeast Washington. It closed in 1957 becoming, in turn, a roller rink, a church, and a funeral parlor.
Then a decade later, a museum . . . — — Map (db m100824) HM

Earthworks of Battery Ricketts are visible inside the wooded area in front of you. Battery Ricketts, built to defend an area in front of Fort Stanton, was named for Maj. Gen. James B. Ricketts. — — Map (db m10622) HM

The Handsome Italian Renaissance Building. across the street opened as James G. Birney Elementary School in 1901. Its wood-frame predecessor, the original 1889 Birney School, was the first school built with public funds for African American . . . — — Map (db m100669) HM

Late On The Night Of April 14, 1865, a guard at the other end of the Navy Yard Bridge allowed a young man on horseback to cross, despite a wartime curfew. Unbeknownst to the guard, the rider, John Wilkes Booth, had just shot President Abraham . . . — — Map (db m100715) HM

Across the street is the former 11th Precinct Police Station. In 1993 it became the Max Robinson Center for Health and Living, providing services for people with HIV/AIDS.
Whether by design or by accident, in 1910 the city built . . . — — Map (db m100763) HM

Anacostia's Ketcham School (across Good Hope Road) opened in 1908 to serve white elementary school children. For junior and senior high school, whites crossed the river until 1935, when Anacostia Junior-Senior High School opened at 16th and R . . . — — Map (db m100271) HM

Settled by the formerly enslaved. Some Barry Farm-era churches still serve the neighborhood.
Macedonia Baptist Church, about a block to your left at 2625 Stanton Road, was organized in 1866 by Rev. James William Howard. Ten years later a group . . . — — Map (db m100825) HM

Earthworks of Fort Carroll are visible 100 yards to the right at the top of the hill. Fort Carroll was named in honor of Maj. Gen. Samuel Sprigg Carroll, a West Point graduate from the District of Columbia. — — Map (db m10614) HM

Earthworks of Fort Greble are visible beyond this exhibit. Fort Greble was named in honor of Lt. John T. Greble, slain at the Battle of Big Bethel, June 10, 1861, the first U.S. Military Academy graduate killed in the Civil War. — — Map (db m40866) HM

Earthworks of Fort Stanton are visible in the wooded area 200 yards in front of you.
Diagram: Fort Stanton from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers drawing.
Fort Stanton was named for Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, was the first fort . . . — — Map (db m46623) HM

Also known as Cedar Hill, this site encompasses the estate owned by Frederick Douglass from 1877 until his death in 1895. In honor of Douglass work as an author, orator, abolitionist, statesman, and civil rights leader, this site is designated a . . . — — Map (db m40846) HM

James G. Birney Elementary School (founded 1889) was the city's first public school for African Americans in this area, then known as Hillsdale. Previously, residents organized their own schools. The Old Birney School expanded in 1901 with the . . . — — Map (db m100679) HM

Re-dedication April 25, 2006.
This community landmark represents the Curtis Companies long standing allegience to the neighborhood and steadfast committment to unity, prosperity and good will to all Washingtonians and friends of Anacostia. . . . — — Map (db m5446) HM

This Anacostia icon once marked the entrance to Curtis Brothers Furniture Co. The business dated to 1926, when young Fred
and George Curtis acquired a Model T Ford truck to deliver ice, then progressed to moving furniture. They soon rented a . . . — — Map (db m100690) HM

Here stood Frederick Douglass rustic retreat from domestic society, where he could think, read and write undisturbed. Evoking the image of a lions lair, he called his hideaway the Growlery. It was simply furnished with a lounge, a high desk and a . . . — — Map (db m5362) HM

This imposing property once belonged to Anacostias most famous resident: Frederick Douglass. After escaping slavery as a young man, Douglass rose to become a distinguished abolitionist, writer, publisher, and orator. By the 1860s Douglass was one . . . — — Map (db m88723) HM

Presented to Curtis Bros. for their outstanding leadership and service to the public by the Basset Furniture Industries.
The chair made of solid Honduras mahogany is 19½ feet tall and weighs 4600 pounds.
Designer: Leo M. . . . — — Map (db m5459) HM

Today's Anacostia Historic District began in 1854 as Uniontown, Washington's first planned suburb. The Union Land Association saw the large Navy Yard
workforce across the Anacostia River as potential customers for building lots they carved out . . . — — Map (db m95972) HM

These 22 Corinthian sandstone columns were among 24 that were part of the east portico of the United States Capitol. Architect Charles Bullfinch oversaw construction of the portico using a design handed down by his predecessors, William Thornton and . . . — — Map (db m918) HM

Assembled in this garden is a permanent collection of the Glenn Dale Hybrid Azaleas, originated, selected, and named by B. Y. Morrison, first Director of the U.S. National Arboretum. — — Map (db m966) HM

The presence of the National Capitol Columns on the knoll in this meadow was the inspiration of Ethel Shields Garrett, patron and friend of the National Arboretum. It was through her vision, courage, and determination for thirty years that these . . . — — Map (db m917) HM

The sandstone base and capital are from a Corinthian column that once graced the east central portico of the United States Capitol. The columns were dismantled in 1958 to make way for the east front extension, where marble reproductions now stand. . . . — — Map (db m7621) HM

Fighting Falcon
The F-16 became the D.C. Air National Guard alert duty aircraft on Sept. 11, 2001. For twelve years, this capable fighter has responded to more than 4,000 individual alert missions over the District of Columbia. The . . . — — Map (db m74097) HM WM

Commemorating The
American Revolutionary Service
of
General Peterson Goodwyn
General Peterson Goodwyn equipped his own company and was cited for gallantry at the battles of Smithfield and Great Bridge — member of the Virginia House of . . . — — Map (db m80692) WM

Congressional Cemetery, founded 1807, is the resting ground for many War of 1812 figures. Among them are Navy Yard Commandant Thomas Tingey, the first architect of the Capitol, Dr. William Thornton, State Department Clerk Stephen Pleasonton, and . . . — — Map (db m80481) HM WM

John Philip Sousa (1854–1932), known as the “March King,” grew up in Washington on G Street SE, between 6th and 7th. Sousa became a leader of the Marine Band in 1880 and served in this position for 12 years, leading band tours . . . — — Map (db m82268) HM

The Seafarers Yacht Club is the oldest African American boat club on the East Coast. It was founded in 1945 by Lewis T. Green, Sr., a vocational arts teacher in the DC Public Schools who built boats as a hobby. Needing a dock, he contacted the U.S. . . . — — Map (db m89445) HM

The venerable UH-I “HUEY” helicopter was a beloved work horse for the
District of Columbia Army National Guard, safely and reliably supporting the
Nations Capital for over 40 years. With 2-4 crew members, HUEYs carried
up to 6 . . . — — Map (db m73785) HM WM

Campbell AME, established in 1867 as Mount Zion AME, was an outgrowth of its overcrowded parent church, Allen Chapel AME, founded in 1850. When it moved to a location near the present one in 1890, Mount Zion was renamed for AME Bishop Jabez B. . . . — — Map (db m33749) HM

You are standing in the middle of what once was a large estate owned by James Barry. The Washington City merchant, land speculator, and councilman purchased part of the "St. Elizabeths" tract hoping to profit as the city expanded eastward.
. . . — — Map (db m101706) HM

The Fence and wall ahead of you, on either side of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, enclose historic St. Elizabeths Hospital. The pioneering facility opened in 1855 to treat mentally ill members of the armed forces and DC residents. At a time when . . . — — Map (db m100694) HM

Earthworks of Fort Chaplin are visible through the wooded areas at the top of the hill. Fort Chaplin was named in honor of Col. Daniel Chaplin, who was mortally wounded on August 17, 1864, at Deep Bottom, Virginia. — — Map (db m10628) HM

Many distinguished Black citizens including Civil War veterans were buried in this cemetery. These bodies now rest in the new National Harmony Memorial Park Cemetery in Maryland. — — Map (db m16069) HM

Hearing those words, President Abraham Lincoln ducked down from the Fort Stevens parapet during the Civil War battle that stopped the Confederates from taking Washington. On July 9, 1864, some 15,000 Rebels led by General Jubal A. Early defeated . . . — — Map (db m72829) HM

The Large Structure across Georgia Avenue opened in 1909 as a "car barn" for the Brightwood Railway. The facility could service more than 40 streetcars at once, and often did so late at night. As a young boy in the 1950s, Thomas Reardon . . . — — Map (db m72831) HM

Even Before Emancipation freed Washington's enslaved people in April 1862, a free African American community had developed here amid the European American farmers. The District of Columbia, unlike its neighbors, permitted the formerly enslaved . . . — — Map (db m72821) HM

Army Medical Museum has been designated a registered National Historic Landmark under the provision of the Historic Sites Act of August 21, 1935. This site possesses exceptional value in commemorating and illustrating the history of the United . . . — — Map (db m17095) WM

This busy section once was a "Country Road" to Washingtonians looking for peace and recreation. If you drove by here a century ago, you would have passed woods and large estates, and might even have seen fox hunters. Across Georgia was the . . . — — Map (db m72813) HM

After the rebels were turned back as the Battle of Fort Stevens ended in 1864, scores of Union Soldiers lay cold and silent. Forty-one of them are buried here in this tiny plot dedicated to their sacrifice.
President Abraham Lincoln, who . . . — — Map (db m72825) HM

In 1818 the Private Rockville and Washington Turnpike Co. began building a road to link Washington City to Rockville, Maryland. This road helped create a village. A toll gate on what today is Georgia Avenue between Quackenbos and Rittenhouse . . . — — Map (db m72819) HM

The Grand, Neo-classical Revival style building that you see across Georgia Avenue north of Missouri opened in 1925 as the Bank of Brightwood, thanks to efforts of the Brightwood Citizens Association. Designed by Treasury Department architect . . . — — Map (db m72818) HM

Apple and Peach Trees once covered the slopes to your left, some 40 acres' worth, all planted by noted horticulturalist John Saul (1819-1897). In the 1870s Saul was one of Brghtwood's largest landowners. In addition to these orchards, he . . . — — Map (db m72822) HM

Civil War Defenses of Washington 1861-1865 The partial reconstruction of Fort Stevens that you see today was done by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1937. No visible evidence of the original fort remains. Battle of Fort Stevens July 11-12, . . . — — Map (db m3028) HM

“We havent taken Washington, but we scared Abe Lincoln like hell! ” General Jubal Anderson Early Built between 1861-1863 this structure was originally called Fort Massachusetts and guarded the northern defenses of the . . . — — Map (db m49456) HM

English, Irish and German settlers, as well as enslaved and free African Americans, were the first non-natives to claim Brightwood. Farmers dominated until the Civil War. Then in the 1890s electric streetcars allowed government workers to live . . . — — Map (db m72817) HM

The Military Road School opened in 1864 here along what then was Military Road, an artery linking Civil War forts. The School was one of the first to open after Congress authorized public education for Washington's African Americans in 1862. . . . — — Map (db m70464) HM

We have Harry Wardman to thank for the rich variety of Sheridan Street rowhouses. Wardman, considered Washington's most prolific developer, built hundreds of offices, apartments, hotels, and comfortable rowhouses from 1899 to 1939. When he . . . — — Map (db m72823) HM

Back in the 1920s, most people walked or rode a streetcar to go shopping. Then cars became affordable, and people drove everywhere. Soon the shopping center, with free parking, was born. In 1937 Brightwood's "Park and Shop" opened on Georgia . . . — — Map (db m72826) HM

The School Building Just Ahead of You Opened In 1912 as the Military Road School, the area's third public elementary for African Americans. For decades it was the only public school serving black children in Upper Northwest and nearby . . . — — Map (db m72820) HM

Used as a signal station
· by ·
Confederate soldiers under
Gen. Jubal A. Early
during the attack on
· Washington ·
July 11 and 12, 1864
Also used by
Confederate Sharpshooters
The lower plaque reads:
Two cannon balls . . . — — Map (db m42698) HM

On July 11 and 12, 1864, this intersection was the center of the only Civil War battle fought in the District of Columbia. Here, Union sharpshooters at Fort Stevens, supported by forces across the
northernmost of Washington's ring of forts, . . . — — Map (db m72824) HM

Named in honor of Major Walter Reed, pioneer in military medicine.
Although first envisioned during the Civil War, it was not until 1909 that an army general hospital was built in Washington. Named in honor of Major Walter Reed, famed for . . . — — Map (db m14164) HM

[Front]Walter Reed 1851 - 1902 Bacteriologist - Research Scientist
In Honor of his great work in the fight for the eradication of yellow Fever.
[Back:]
[Insignia of the Army Medical Corps]
In recognition of the high public . . . — — Map (db m68990) HM

In the 1930s as now, this area was a family friendly, "move-up" destination for hard-working government clerks and professionals. Like many DC neighborhoods, Brightwood had covenants prohibiting sales to certain white ethnics and African . . . — — Map (db m72777) HM

Long before Metro opened a Green Line station here in 1991, the B&O Railroad's Alexandria Branch line ran a block behind you, along the river. The Washington & Anacostia Street Railway ran along Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue a block ahead. The . . . — — Map (db m88721) HM WM

Dedicated by Maryland State Society, Daughters of the American Revolution, April 21, 1934. Growing on land that was once a part of Maryland and was in 1790 her gift to the United States of America for the national capitol, the 31 trees in this group . . . — — Map (db m4893) HM

THE BUILDINGS NEAR THIS CORNER were built during a wave of private development that began after the United States won the Spanish-American War in 1898, and became a world power for the first time. As America flexed its muscles, the world — and . . . — — Map (db m57119) HM

Acacia Life Insurance Building – 1936
On March 3, 1869, President Andrew Johnson signed the Congressional Act chartering
The Masonic Mutual Relief Association that
became Acacia Life Insurance Company.
Built as its headquarters . . . — — Map (db m41886) HM

Of this House
The oldest part is one of the earliest buildings in this region.
Robert Sewall bought the property and enlarged the house in 1799, and rebuilt and greatly altered it after war damage in 1814.
Residence and office of . . . — — Map (db m69271) HM

This is Christ Church, Washington Parish, the first Episcopal church established in Washington City (1794), and attended by Presidents Thomas Jefferson and John Quincy Adams.
At first Christ Church met in a nearby tobacco warehouse. In 1806 . . . — — Map (db m39235) HM

The home/music studio of John Esputa, Jr., once occupied the site of 511 Eighth Street (Shakespeare Theatres rehearsal hall.) Among Esputas students in 1861 was eight-year-old John Philip Sousa, whose irresistible marches made him one of Americas . . . — — Map (db m64884) HM

This residence was designed by architect Appleton P. Clark, Jr. and built in 1891 for Daniel Birtwell. In 1900, George Bruce Cortelyou occupied the house when he became secretary to President McKinley. Cortelyou continued to serve in public office . . . — — Map (db m69292) HM

Designed in the Beaux-Arts style, this was the world's largest train station when it opened - the station and terminal zone originally covered approximately 200 acres and included 75 miles of tracks. For over half a century its coffered ceilings and . . . — — Map (db m8442) HM

The original Library of Congress occupied a room in the U.S. Capitol. When British troops burned the Capitol in 1814, the collection was destroyed. After the war Thomas Jefferson helped re-establish the library by selling to Congress at a . . . — — Map (db m80848) HM

Established by order of President Thomas Jefferson 1805, this building constructed 1873, designed by Adolf Cluss, additions 1907-8 by Snowden Ashford.
Eastern Market, one of three public markets proposed in LEnfants Plan, was established in . . . — — Map (db m20358) HM

Ebenezer United Methodist Church is Capitol Hills oldest independent Black congregation.
Ebenezer UMC was founded in 1827 by African Americans who left a biracial church on Capitol Hill because the White congregants practiced segregation. The . . . — — Map (db m30053) HM

Americas oldest navy and marine installations are just blocks from where you are standing. This is the northern edge of a Capitol Hill community shaped by the presence of the U.S. military. Eighth Street is its commercial center. The Washington . . . — — Map (db m100122) HM

“[The British] put a slow match to the [Sewall] house and those rockets burst until they made the rafters fly East and West.” — Enslaved African American diarist and eyewitness, Michael Shiner.
As the British . . . — — Map (db m87856) HM WM

Orator - Publisher - Statesman
Precursor of the Civil Rights Movement
An ex-slave who rose to world renown as an abolitionist and who served in high government posts under presidents Grant through Cleveland, Frederick Douglass resided in this . . . — — Map (db m69264) HM

In grateful memory of Abraham Lincoln. This monument was erected by the Western Sanitary Commission of Saint Louis, Mo., with funds contributed solely by emancipated Citizens of the United States declared free by his Proclamation, January 1st . . . — — Map (db m41617) HM

From June to December 1917 members of the National Woman's Party were imprisoned for picketing the White House to publicize the struggle to win the vote for Women. Those incarcerated in the District of Columbia's workhouse in Occoquan, Virginia . . . — — Map (db m71336) HM

In 1866 the Navy completed the hospital you see across the street to treat injured and ailing seamen. With beds for 50, it included the carriage house/stable and cast-iron fence and (around the corner) the gazebo. Its front door originally was on E . . . — — Map (db m50813) HM

[Panel 1 of the historical narrative at memorial entrance]:
On February 19, 1942, 73 days after the United States entered World War II, President Franklin Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066 which resulted in the removal of 120,000 . . . — — Map (db m40541) HM

Latrobe Gate Designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe in 1804, the gate and flanking guardhouses were constructed in the Greek Revival style. This style became very popular in the young nation, and the original section of the gate represents one of . . . — — Map (db m28348) HM

1875–1955 Let her works praise her. I leave you love.  I leave you hope.  I leave you the challenge of developing confidence in one another.  I leave you a thirst for education.  I leave you a respect for the use of power.  I . . . — — Map (db m5505) HM

(Inscription, south face of monument base:)
Sacred to the memory of
Nathanael Greene, Esquire,
a native of the State of Rhode Island
who died on the 19th of June 1786 -
late Major General in the service of the U.S. . . . — — Map (db m30771) HM

On your left is Marine Barracks Washington, D.C., the oldest continuously manned post in the U.S. Marine Corps. The installation was originally designed by architect George Hadfield in 1801 with a central parade ground and housing for 500 enlisted . . . — — Map (db m10834) HM

This Skystream 3.7 residential turbine is a new generation of wind generator that hooks directly to your home to reduce or eliminate your monthly electric bill. Its designed to provide quiet, clean electricity in very low winds. How can a wind . . . — — Map (db m49642) HM

You are looking at a Windspire, a vertical-axis wind turbine that generates electricity from wind power. This model produces about 2,000 kWh of electricity a year in an area with average wind speeds of 12 mph (about Ό the needs of the average . . . — — Map (db m49643) HM

Residence of Albert Gallatin, Peace Negotiator and Secretary of the Treasury 1801-1814, who negotiated the treaty of Ghent, 1814. When the British marched on Washington in the summer of 1814, some American patriots with Commodore Joshua Barney and . . . — — Map (db m61571) HM

IF YOU ARE HEARING THE RINGING TONES OF BAND MUSIC, one of the ensembles of the world-famous United States Marine Band may be practicing inside the Marine Barracks.
John Philip Sousa, the neighborhoods most famous son, spent 19 years here. In . . . — — Map (db m66727) HM

The U.S. Capitol was the British troop's first target when they arrived in Washington on August 24, 1814, only hours after their afternoon victory at the Battle of Bladensburg. The invaders fired rockets through the Capitol's windows. When the . . . — — Map (db m80844) HM

The Old Brick Capitol
July 4, 1815 The cornerstone of the Old Brick Capitol built by Washington citizens to house the Congress was laid on this site. The Congress met here from December 13, 1815 through March 3, 1819. President Monroe was . . . — — Map (db m39411) HM

one of the oldest residential properties on Capitol Hill, has been the historic headquarters of the National Woman's Party since 1929. Named after Robert Sewall, the original owner of the site, and Alva Belmont, the president and benefactor of the . . . — — Map (db m70955) HM

One of the icons of world architecture, the U.S. Capitol has been the meeting place of Congress since 1800. President George Washington laid the cornerstone on September 18, 1793. While under construction, the the building was damaged by British . . . — — Map (db m40117) HM

[Diagram of Capitol Square - East and West Plazas]
General Plan for the Improvement of the U.S. Capitol Grounds by Frederick Law Olmstead, 1874
Following the extension of the Capitol in the 1850s-1860s, the grounds were . . . — — Map (db m27891) HM

The white brick wall in front of you marks the original northern boundary of the Navy Yard. The yard grew from its original 12 acres to 128 acres at its peak in 1962. In 2003 it consisted of 73 acres with 55 acres making up the adjacent Southeast . . . — — Map (db m10822) HM

In front of you is the main gate of the Washington Navy Yard, established in 1799. It is the U.S. Navy's oldest shore facility in continuous use. Over time, workers here have built and repaired ships and their fittings, designed and developed . . . — — Map (db m10835) HM

1852-1890 A visionary parish priest through whose determined efforts The Knights of Columbus was founded in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1882 to strengthen the faith of Catholic men and to protect their families — — Map (db m96320) HM

History of the Catholic University Law School 1895-1954 As early as 1890, Archbishop John Joseph Keane, the first rector of The Catholic University of America recognized the need for the study of law at the university to meet the demand for . . . — — Map (db m96321) HM

Earthworks of Fort De Russy are visible; follow path to your right for 200 years.
[drawing of fort] Fort De Russy from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers drawing.
Cannon mounted at Fort De Russy helped repulse a Confederate attack on Fort . . . — — Map (db m20822) HM

Built in 1861 to protect the Rock Creek Valley during the Civil War, Fort DeRussy's cannon fired a total of 109 projectiles into the northern countryside as 12,000-15,000 Confederate soldiers attacked the city under the command of Confederate . . . — — Map (db m20824) HM

dragons to bring rain, prosperity and friendship
More than 280 dragons, crowned by 700 glazed tiles, look down from the Chinatown Friendship Archway before you. Symbols of the spirits that bring rain and prosperity in China, these . . . — — Map (db m26935) HM

"The nest in which the egg was hatched."President Andrew Johnson, April 1865. The building at 604 H Street, today Golos Chinese Restaurant, is intimately connected with the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln at . . . — — Map (db m16585) HM

This Pennsylvania Dutch style structure was built in 1823 by Joshua Pierce. The west side was added in 1843. It encloses ten rooms within its three stories. A utility house and potting shed flank the rear.
Joshua was an avid horticulturist, and . . . — — Map (db m70684) HM

The Peirce Still House, built between 1796 and 1811, was part of a large plantation owned by Isaac Peirce, a Quaker from Pennsylvania and slave owner, who purchased the property in 1795. Much of the Peirce Estate became part of Rock Creek Park when . . . — — Map (db m82098) HM

During the 19th century, the majority of the land now known as Rock Creek Park was owned by Isaac Peirce, one of Washington's most prominent land holders and mill owners. It was here that Isaac's son, Joshua Peirce, constructed his home in 1823 on . . . — — Map (db m97976) HM

Cleveland Park was named for Grover Cleveland who bought a country house on now Newark Street in 1886. In the 1890s, electrified streetcars ran on Connecticut and Wisconsin Avenues and led to the development of the Cleveland Park "suburb".
Shops . . . — — Map (db m67826) HM

This small stone structure was built by Isaac Pierce in 1801. Constructed around a natural spring, it was used as a cooling place for cheese, milk, and butter products, during the hot summer months. It also provided a clean water supply.
A . . . — — Map (db m79644) HM

Since Meridian Hill Park opened in 1936, Washingtonians from diverse neighborhoods surrounding the park have gathered here for performances, community events, and political protest.
When tens of thousands of people flocked to Washington D.C. in . . . — — Map (db m63643) HM

It is perhaps no surprise that Commodore David Porter, hero of the War of 1812, chose Meridian Hill on which to build his estate. From this knoll, Porter had a direct line of sight to the President's mansion. Though no match for the grand buildings . . . — — Map (db m63740) HM

Thomas Jefferson Believed the surveyor's of the nation's capital city should set a new American Meridian, a north-south line running through both poles and the American continent.
This reference line, longitude 0° 0°, would aid navigation, . . . — — Map (db m63770) HM

Congress ordered sculptures installed at Meridian Hill Park long before the park's completion. So many sculptures were authorized that Horace Peaslee, the park's architect, called for a moratorium on installations. He told the Commission of the Fine . . . — — Map (db m63658) HM

President Monroe singed a charter in 1821 that established Columbian College on a site north of Florida Avenue between 14th and 15th Streets, Columbian College moved to Foggy Bottom in 1912 and became George Washington University, but the original . . . — — Map (db m63771) HM

Dr. Charles R. Drew (1904-1950), renowned for his blood plasma research, was associated with Howard University College of Medicine during most of his career. In 1941 Drew joined a national effort to set up a blood banking process but left because . . . — — Map (db m65523) HM

Wayland Seminary opened in Foggy Bottom just after the Civil War to train formerly enslaved people and others as “preachers and teachers for the South” and as missionaries to evangelize Africa. In 1875 it moved here, later merging with . . . — — Map (db m23947) HM

At the beginning of its second century, the nation's capital was changing dramatically. In 1902, the United States Senate adopted a number of recommendations from the Senate Park Commission, popularly known as the McMillan Commission. By 1910, a . . . — — Map (db m63940) HM

The Drum and Spear Bookstore, founded in 1968 by Charlie Cobb, a former secretary for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, specialized in books written by black authors, and books on Asian, African, and African American subjects. Growing . . . — — Map (db m85756) HM

Organized September 1928 at M Street and New York Avenue
Moved February 19, 1933
to Ninth Street and Rhode
Island Avenue, N.W.
Moved August 1950 to Thirteenth
and Clifton Street, N.W. — — Map (db m23651) HM

The 1100 and 1200 blocks of Girard Street once were home to a “Whos Who” of African American leaders. This and nearby “double-blocks” are the heart of John Shermans Columbia Heights subdivision. By placing all houses 30 . . . — — Map (db m97763) HM

Buchanan was our only bachelor president and relied upon his orphaned niece, Harriet Lane, to act as his First Lady during his years in the White House (1857 to 1861). In her estate, Harriet Lane Johnson made a bequest to fund a memorial to her . . . — — Map (db m63631) HM

These elegant 13th Street Houses were constructed when racial separation was legal and widely accepted. In 1910 the deeds for many houses across 13th Street had covenants banning “any negro or colored persons.” Those on this side . . . — — Map (db m23603) HM

On your right is Josephine Butler Parks Center, home of Washington Parks & People, a network of groups devoted to DC and its parks. The network's 1927 mansion, which once housed the Hungarian delegation, was part of an embassy row envisioned by Mary . . . — — Map (db m63849) HM

Low cost housing in Mount Pleasant in the decades following World War II made it an ideal place for immigrants to the area. Refugees fleeing World War II and the Cold War in Eastern Europe were the first group to arrive. A small Czech community . . . — — Map (db m68731) HM

For Nearly 50 Years, this corner was home to Nob Hill Restaurant, one of the nation's first openly gay bars for-and run by-African Americans.
Started in the 1950s as a private social club, Nob Hill went public in 1957. Patrons enjoyed . . . — — Map (db m86014) HM

In the days of legally segregated public education (1862-1954), this school building was Central High, the gem of the School Boards white division. But by 1949, it had few students, as the post-World War II suburban housing boom had drawn whites . . . — — Map (db m23608) HM

Noted landscape architects George Burnap and Horace Peaslee, who worked in the Office of Public Buildings and Grounds, designed Meridian Hill Park under the guidance of the Commission of Fine Arts. By 1914, Burnap had completed his basic design: a . . . — — Map (db m63952) HM

The Pitts Motor Hotel, formerly located at 1451 Belmont Street, lingers in memory for two reasons. In the 1960s it was a gathering place of Civil Rights movement leaders. Later it became a "welfare hotel."
In March 1968 the Reverend Dr. Martin . . . — — Map (db m63706) HM

Straight ahead is All Souls Church, Unitarian, long known for its social activism, starting with abolitionism in the 1820s and ranging through nuclear disarmament and interracial cooperation. During the segregation era, All Souls was one of the few . . . — — Map (db m24152) HM

In 1920, Washington D. C. was home to the largest African American Community in the country. Numerous venues in the U Street area showcased prominent musicians and politicians of the day. On this site stood the Pitts Motel and its Red Carpet Lounge. . . . — — Map (db m63678) HM

To The Glory of God
And in grateful memory of one of his servants
This building devoted to Christian education
Is named for
Woodrow Wilson
President of Princeton University 1902 — 1910
Governor of the state of New Jersey . . . — — Map (db m82615) HM

Meridian Hill Park might never have been built had it not been for the determination of Mary Foote Henderson (1846 - 1931). For 22 years, she lobbied Congress for funds to buy the land and build the park. Congress's 1910 vote to authorize . . . — — Map (db m63934) HM

The stone marking the Washington Meridian was formerly located 52 feet, nine inches west of this tablet which was presented by the Army and Navy Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution. — — Map (db m82518) HM

”To me beautification means our total concern for the physical and human quality we pass on to our children and the future.”
- Lady Bird Johnson
When kids connect with national parks, the result is conservation. Through . . . — — Map (db m53699) HM

Today, we proclaim our refusal to be strangled by the wastes of Civilization. Today, we begin to be the masters of our environment. Lyndon B. Johnson at the signing of the Water Quality Act of 1965 President Johnson stopped here many times . . . — — Map (db m98718) HM

To your right it is the former Merritt Educational Center which operated from 1943 to 2008. However, if you were standing here in the 1920s or '30s, in its place you would have seen exuberant crowds of fashionably dressed African Americans enjoying . . . — — Map (db m24519) HM

This quaint frame building has served several church congregations since its construction in 1908. The First Zion Baptist Church stayed for more than 60 years. Since 1993 members of Joshua's Temple First Born Church have worshiped within its walls. . . . — — Map (db m21681) HM

Up the Hill to your left are several signature handcrafted houses, Beginning in the late 1800s, Deanwood attracted skilled black migrants, who freely passed on their know-how.
In the 1920s Jacob and Randolph Dodd built about 50 structures in . . . — — Map (db m81451) HM

Wood, Donn & Deming, Architects 1737 H Street N.W. Nearby marker: This property has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior — — Map (db m96429) HM

Commodore John Barry (1745-1803) was born in County Wexford, Ireland, but by age 15 called Philadelphia, Pennsylvania home. He commanded several Continental Navy ships during the Revolutionary War and won decisive victories over the British. In . . . — — Map (db m55504) HM

With these legendary words, naval officer David G. Farragut led the Union fleet past Confederate mines (then called torpedoes) and to victory at the Battle of Mobile Bay on August 5, 1864. From the rigging of his flagship, USS Hartford, . . . — — Map (db m4104) HM

Declared a National Historic Landmark in 1972, the US Treasury Building is the oldest departmental building in Washington. The building serves as the headquarters of the Treasury Department. Treasury's responsibilities encompass revenue collection, . . . — — Map (db m100443) HM

From the top floor of this building was sent on June 3, 1880 over a beam of light to 1325 L Street, the first wireless telephone message in the history of the world. The apparatus used in sending the message was the photophone invented by Alexander . . . — — Map (db m17569) HM

Stories of slavery and freedom, of struggle and achievement are woven through the history of this African American congregation. Founded in 1836, by the time of the Civil War Asbury United Methodist Church was the preeminent Black church in the . . . — — Map (db m70316) HM

Founded Volunteers of America in 1896 with the mission to reach and uplift all people. The Booths envisioned a movement that would care for the whole person – mind, body and spirit. Their vision lives on in a national organization that . . . — — Map (db m92086) HM